Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Two Republican senators announced they will vote against President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education, casting serious doubt about whether she has the support to be confirmed.
Democrats had already spoken out against Betsy DeVos but Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski said Wednesday they will also vote against her.
Sen. Jeff Sessions has not said if or how he will vote. So far the Attorney General nominee has shied away from votes on fellow Trump cabinet nominees to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. Vice President Mike Pence could also vote to break a tie in favor of DeVos.
Murkowski said DeVos displayed a “lack of experience with public education” and a “lack of knowledge” in her confirmation hearing.
Despite the news about opposition to Trump’s pick for the Education Department, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer stood by DeVos, saying he is “100 percent confident she will be the next Secretary of Education.”
DeVos is a wealthy Republican donor and activist from Michigan, where she has been a vocal supporter of charter schools and school choice policies.
Education groups like the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers are strongly opposed to DeVos.
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